Truth Behind The X
by ZebraManiak
Summary: Will the Titan's ever figure out the true identity of Red X, or will Robin's nightmares prove to be false?
1. Chapter 1

Robin awoke in bed startled from a horrific nightmare which had just occurred. Sweat dripped from his forehead down to his chin and continuous panting was conjured. He looked up at his clock and it was an hour after midnight. He tried remembering his dream but only blurry figures could be congregated in his mind. There was only one detail he could recognize for the moment, a red "x" blinding his sight.

The sweating had decreased and Robin's heart rate returned to its normal relaxed pace. He would return to sleep later but for now his mind was scattered with questions as usual. All that consumed his mind was the thought of that red "x" shining in his slowly detaching memory.

As the sun rose and created a glare through the window which had consumed half the space of the living room Robin sat lying on the couch, still dazed by his fuzzy dream. He stared blankly at the ceiling wondering what the "x" represented in his vision.

Awaken by the starting day; Starfire hovered into the main room of the tower which Robin had also been occupying. She flew past the couch oblivious of Robin and grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge. She eyed the room in search of other titans, and when none was found, she drank straight from the container. Robin arose from his meditating state and watched Starfire devour almost half of the remaining milk. Starfire glanced at the recently appearing Robin and spat the milk out all over the kitchen. The sound of dripping liquid echoed all through out the empty room. As Robin gave a smile to Starfire, she took the carton and hid it behind her back not noticing milk slithering down her lower lip which would surely give her away.

"Robin, you have appeared on the couch out of nowhere," Starfire started. "Tell me please how you did this?"

Robin chuckled to himself at Starfire's question, "I've been here all night, and I guess you just didn't notice me."

Starfire shifted over to Robin and asked, "Something bothers you friend Robin?"

Robin glanced down thinking about his nightmare and looked back up at the unaware Starfire. Her cheerful smile had always brightened up his day even though he never displayed that it had. "No, I'm alright. I just couldn't get to sleep I guess, I've got a lot on my mind," Robin said trying to hide the fact that his mind was almost creeping over the point of insanity because of his delusion.

The alien gazed in heavy confusion, "What really troubles you? I wish to know as a Titan and as your friend."

In anger Robin stood up and clenched his fist, "I told you! Nothing bothers me, alright?" Without even waiting for a quick response, Robin impatiently stomped out and stepped into the deep depths of his room.

Starfire slowly sat her self on the couch in wonder. _Was it something I had said? Whenever I get involved with his troubles it just makes it worst, maybe I should go see him._

Starfire's thoughts were interrupted by the awoken Beast Boy. He stumbled into the living room and quickly took form of a lion. As a lion, BB made an earsplitting yawn which had shaken the entire tower surely awaking the other titans. He reformed back into his normal state and gave a gesture to Starfire. She ignored the wave and continued thinking.

Cyborg strolled into the room and stretched out the half of his body which had needed a morning stretching. He noticed Beast Boy and grabbed his entire body with just one hand and gave him an atomic noogie, "Haha! Hey dog, where's my breakfast?"

While trying to gasp as much air as possible while being clutched by the mighty strength of Cyborg, Beast Boy managed to get a couple words out, "How……would….you…..like your…eggs"

Cyborg released his grasp of Beast Boy and sat down trying to output an answer for BB. There was so much possibility with the one simple question that had been asked. Mouth drooled from his mouth at the thought of any type of eggs and finally he came to a decision, "All."

Beast Boy's eyes widened at the words which had come from Cyborg's mouth. He marched over to Cyborg and looked at him straight in the eye, "All? Are you crazy? Even I couldn't have –"

Beast Boy was interrupted by the sound of the alarm. Red lights flashed and lit up the whole tower. Every titan rushed by the television which had been displaying a map of the town. Starfire had avoided contact with Robin to avoid awkwardness. A red dot flashed by the city bank and was moving north of it.

"My readings say that it's Red X," Cyborg said while observing the map. "He's up to no good."

Robin had gone into a mental trance after hearing the reports. The red "x" in his dream must have been referring to Red X the criminal which had stolen the suit that Robin had made with his bare hands to disguise himself from Slade. _Had I foreseen the crime happening?_ Robin kept on thinking until Raven bumped into him in a rush to go. Robin shook it off and ran off to the R-Cycle, and rode to right Red X, and maybe find some answers to his nightmare.


	2. Chapter 2

"Please," A woman banker started. "Just take the money and go."

Red X took a glance at the middle aged woman and chuckled. He turned back to the safe which he had been currently stealing from and kept shuffling money into his sack and said, "Lady, there is no use in trying to live. In the end you are all dead, no one can stop me."

The banker's face had flushed in fear at the words coming from the robber. She kept watching as he took every green piece of paper there was to be taken.

Once all the money had been taken, Red X tied the sack and walked over to the innocent banker. He smiled at her and raised his hand and took hold of her throat with a powerful thrust of his wrist. He lifted her off the ground not caring of the gasping noises which had been coming from the victim. One minute more and he knew she'd be dead, and then he could make a run for it before the Teen Titans came and ruined his accomplishment.

Robin was racing on rooftops trying to keep up the quick pace of the other Titans with the ability of flight, besides for Cyborg whom was being carried by the pterodactyl Beast Boy.

He had his R-cycle going at its maximum speed. Before he knew it he could see the bank's window glass ceiling.

Whiling strangling the women, Red X heard the faint roar of a motorcycle near by; The Titans were coming. He dropped the victim in panic and fled the bank. He was halted in his tracks as Robin jumped from the roof and posed in a stance holding on to his birdarang.

"Stop right there!" Robin yelled with authority threatening Red X with his birdarang. "Your crime stops here!"

Beside Robin came Beast Boy and Cyborg, and following was Raven and Starfire. Red X took a couple of steps backwards and stopped by the bank's entrance.

Red X scanned the Titans and mockingly said, "You really think you can defeat me? Last time you could barely get a finger on me."

"That's not going to happen this time!" Robin stepped off the ground and leaped into the air grasping onto his weapon. While midway in the air he bent his arm back and with a powerful swift of his arm he launched the birdarang accurately toward Red X's eyes. With a shift movement, Red X managed to dodge the attack and in a quick blur caught the birdarang between his index and middle fingers.

Robin opened his jaw in surprise and rubbed his eyes to see if he was having another dream, but it was pure reality.

Red X smiled and was even a little impressed by himself as well. He took Robin's weapon and obliterated it with one crush of his hand. Oblivious of Raven's actions, a controlled trash can banged into Red X and it blasted him across the street. And before his body landed on the tar floor, Cyborg blasted him with his Sonic Cannon which made Red X fly even more away.

"Nice!" Robin congratulated Cyborg and Raven. "Are you still too powerful for us Red X?"

Red X lied in a ditch a couple yards from the Titans. He arose from his spot and brushed some his suit. Nor a scar or bruise was seen on Red X's suit.

"That's….impossible!" Beast Boy shouted in disbelief. "That's like from a horror movie or something!"

"This ain't no horror movie, this is reality!" Cyborg corrected him.

Red X smiled and grabbed his sack filled with the stolen money. He held it behind his back and leaped into the air on top of a rooftop. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a red orb.

"Why do you choose to commit crimes?" Robin yelled over to Red X.

Red X smirked and spoke, "I do what suits me." He grasped the red grenade in his hand and tossed over to the Titans. A cloud of foggy red smoke surrounded the area perfect for Red X to escape with.

Trying to see through the smoke Robin coughed out, "You can run, but we'll find you!"

After the smoke had cleared Red X was gone…surprise, surprise. Cyborg walked over to the ditch in which Red X was lying in, and noticed a black patch of his suit which had been torn off.

"Hey guys!" Cyborg started while grabbing the cloth, "I think I can get traces of DNA from this portion of Red X's suit."

Robin observed the cloth and questioned Cyborg, "What if he left none behind?"

Cyborg replied, "The chance of DNA not being found is like one in a million. It will be there." Cyborg took the cloth and held it in front of his left arm with his right. Quickly his arm made robotic sounds and a wide laser scanned the piece of clothing up and down twice. More noises were made and a loud ding was created implying that the scanning was complete.

"Now I just have to take the DNA sample and-" Cyborg's words had stopped when he opened his jaw, blankly staring at his arm.

"What is it Cyborg?" Robin was quick to ask.

"There, there," Cyborg stuttered, "Was no trace of DNA found…."


	3. Chapter 3

Xynthonium. _Why did I have to put that blasted element in the suit?_ Robin continuously asked himself blaming himself for the criminal master mind.

Later that night Robin had another dream. Robin was in an enclosed dark room full of red fog everywhere. The only thing he saw was a distant figure. The body started to walk over to Robin. Soon a face could be seen through the thickness of the smoke. It was Red X.

"You again!" Robin yelled over to Red X.

Red X ignored the words and continued walking toward Robin. He stopped ten feet away from Robin and smirked, "Yes, me again."

Robin took his short staff and extended it to about his height. He grabbed onto it and lunged toward Red X. With a powerful movement of his arms, Robin struck Red X right in the neck. Robin blankly stared as the pole slowly dented into the neck, as if he was hollow, full of air.

Red X smiled and with a quick shift of his hand grabbed the staff and swung it at Robin. Being stricken in the ribs, Robin flew a couple yards away. Blood leaked his skin and stained his shirt.

Robin glanced up at Red X and saw that he was walking away.

"Wait!" Robin shouted, "Who are you?"

"I am Red X." Red X jumped into the air and faded into the atmosphere.

Later that morning, Robin awoke in bed at a decent time. He got out of bed and walked into the living room and saw Cyborg and BB playing video games and Raven and Starfire meditating.

As he walked a few more steps in, Starfire opened one eye to inspect the noise. Seeing Robin, she glared at him and closed her eye, then quickly opened both. She flew toward him and looked confusingly at him.

Robin watched her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Why," Starfire answered with another question. "Why is there blood all over your shirt?"

Robin quickly looked down to see blood had stained all over his shirt, around the rib area. He remembered in his dream that Red X had stricken him in the rib.

"I'm not sure," Robin answered Starfire denying the fact that it could be his dream. "Let me change, I'll be right back." Robin left the room to change uniforms from his stained one.

"Something bothers friend Robin," Starfire stated being ignored by the other Titans.

Cyborg paused the game in which he was currently beating Beast Boy and turned back to look at Starfire, "He's just acting like he always does. Give him a day and he will return to normal."

Walking through the corridors of the tower, Robin's attention was caught by the evidence room. In interest, he walked inside and observed all of the remains of villains they had faced in the past, he most eager to reach the end of the room where the patch of suit from Red X was taken. He walked up to the display of the suit and looked at the writing under it, _Red X's torn suit piece. _After reading the encrypted words, Robin looked up at the cloth.

It was gone.

Robin shattered the display case with a punch of his hand, and grabbed the pole it would have been resting on. After inspecting it he threw it on the ground and ran into the main living room of the tower which the other Titans were occupying.

He put his fist in the air and alerted, "We have an intruder!"

The other Titans quickly reacted, Raven and Starfire flew over to Robin and BB and Cyborg ran over to him.

"Who?" Beast Boy asked.

"Most likely Red X, his patch is missing," Robin said while grinding his teeth. "Let's split up!"

Starfire took the western section of the tower, Raven took the east, and Beast Boy and Cyborg took the southern area. Robin headed upwards in search of Red X.

Robin walked around reactive to any sound. The slightest twitch would be made on any change of motion of shadow.

"Do you fear me?" A mockingly said remark was asked.

Robin looked up to the air in search of the words source, "Where are you, Red X!"

For a moment no sound was made but soon a reply was heard, "You didn't answer the question. Do you fear me?"

Robin grabbed his staff and grasped it in the tightest matter, "Don't play games with me!" In frustration Robin started kicking every door in the hallway that he passed by in search of Red X.

"You'll never find me at this rate, Robin," Red X told Robin.

"What do you want?" Robin asked calming down as if giving up a little.

"I wanted to repair my suit, so I took the portion torn off," Red X answered.

Robin stomped on the ground and shouted, "You mean my suit! I created it, but now I regret it!"

No other sound came from Red X. Robin grabbed his communicator and shouted out to all the Titans, "I found him report to floor-" Robin's words were interrupted by a slamming kick in the face. He soared halfway across the hallway and flipped to balance on his two feet. He looked up at the source of the kick and saw Red X standing holding onto the communicator.

"Robin, where are-" The sound of Raven's words had suddenly stopped when Red X crushed the communicator in a swift crush of his fists.

Red X released the shattered pieces and smiled up at Robin, "I'm sorry did I break that?"

Robin's sweat had dominated his face as he yelled, "I'm gonna kill you for good!"

Robin leaped off the ground and in a quick motion managed to reach up close to Red X. He pulled his fist back and with a powerful stroke, pushed it into Red X's face. In contact with his face, Robin's arm sank into the suit, like in his dream, where Red X was hollow.

"This doesn't make sense," The confused Robin stated. "This happened in my dream, this, this is real life!"

Red X grabbed Robin's right arm and tossed him into the wall. Debris and dust slowly fell down due to the blast of the contact Robin made with the wall.

Red X chuckled and started running down the hallway and shouted back to Robin, "I do what ever suits me!…"


	4. Chapter 4

Dazed and confused Robin awoke with a splitting headache and brushed some dust off his shoulder. He sat up and saw the other Titans around him looking at him. Robin was still in the spot where he had been crushed into the wall.

"Robin," Cyborg said while lifting Robin off the ground. "We need to get you to the hospital wing of the tower, you're injured."

Robin cracked his neck and said, "I'm fine." Robin pushed away Cyborg and started walking down the hallway away from the others.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked hovering in the air.

Robin stopped in his tracks and replied, "I'm going to find out who Red X is." He continued walking.

"What?" Beast Boy questioned, "You just got obliterated by Red X! You need to rest, you're crazy!"

Robin ignored him and kept walking. With exploding anger Starfire flew over to Robin and grabbed his collar with both her fists. She lifted him off the ground and smacked him against the wall still grasping his collar with both hands.

"Robin!" Starfire shouted into Robin's face, "What is your problem? You need rest! Stop worrying, we can handle it while you heal."

He struggled in her arms then finally stopped moving all together. Starfire smiled and gently let him down.

"You're right," Robin insisted. "I do need to heal." He walked down the hallway heading toward his room for a good nap, he needed it.

"Robin, wake up!" A startled Raven alerted Robin. "We got trouble!"

Robin pushed away his blankets and jumped out of bed, "What kind?"

Raven hesitated and spoke, "Red X kind."

"Him again," Robin said frustrated. "Is he in the tower?"

Raven shook her head, "He's in the city, downtown." After speaking she yelled, "Behind you!"

Robin looked behind and saw Red X about to punch him in his cheek, but quickly dodged it.

While Red X was regaining balance, Raven said with her pupils disappearing, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Red X was smashed up against the wall and a curved beam from the wall held him in place.

"You got him!" Robin said congratulating Raven.

After a moment Robin walked up to the struggling Red X. They both glared each other in the eye. Soon, Robin stopped and smiled, "Now to find out who you really are."

Robin lifted his arm and grasped the mask of the disguised figure. After a breath or two, Robin pulled the mask off.

Another mask was behind the one he just pulled off. Confused, Robin pulled off that one, and the same result occurred. Mask after mask was pulled off until a hill of masks was piled on the floor. Nothing but millions of masks was behind the original.

"Like my little trick," Red X said under his breath.

Robin woke up. It was all a dream. It was nearly sundown; he had slept half the day. After letting his heart return to its normal steady pace, Robin got up and walked into the living room.

It was empty.

A screen had been hanging down in front of the T.V. displaying a map of the town, a red dot blinking downtown.

He grabbed his communicator and spoke, "Who's disrupting the city?"

A silent pause was conjured awaiting a response to his question but then Cyborg's voice was heard, "Red X, we got him though. He…just gave up. They're bringing him to jail, we got your suit."

"So who was Red X?" Robin asked Cyborg in relief.

"Just," Cyborg started, "some guy."

Finished, Robin put the communicator back in his pocket. He sat on the couch stunned that this entire time it was just some random guy, he was kind of disappointed. He was hoping for a super genius mad man or something. He sat on the couch awaiting the arrival of the other Titans.

"Your team is so idiotic," A voice came from behind the couch. "I didn't even think my plan would work, but it did."

Recognizing Red X's voice, Robin jumped off the couch and looked toward Red X. He stared at him and asked, "What plan?"

Red X smiled at the accomplishment and said, "You think I'm the one they arrested and sent to jail. I paid some poor sap to wear a fake suit, pretty clever huh?"

"You're dead!" Robin leaped into the air and tackled Red X to the ground dodging any defensive attacks blown at him. Robin pulled back his arm and smacked Red X in the face a couple times and smashed his elbow into his stomach.

"Had enough yet?" Robin asked still on top of Red X.

"I'm not hurt a bit," Red X said with a smirk.

"Ahhh!" In a release of stored anger, Robin grabbed his birdarang and slashed Red X's face across from ear to ear. Gasping for air Robin ripped the mask open and looked to finally see who the identity of Red X was.

Nothing was there.

"What?" Robin said getting up.

The headless Red X also stood up.

"What are you?" Robin asked with no more anger and more confusion.

"Do you really think a person could be as smart and talented as me?" Red X boasted. "For I am no human, I am your suit…"


End file.
